Remember, not everyone likes infrastructure improvements...

This protest captured by Larry the Lenz happened earlier this summer. It looks like it is pretty much finished now.

Sanitary Sewer Infrastructure Work in the Florida Keys

Palm Beach County tourism tax collections up 11 percent

It's a great time to be in the Bed and Breakfast business! Too bad we don't have more hotel rooms, but that is soon to change with the addition of the new hotel on 10th Avenue North, west of I-95, and the eventual reopening of the Gulfstream Hotel. Click title for link. From the article:

County tourism leaders announced this week that bed tax collections grew by $3.3 million, or roughly 11 percent, during the fiscal year the ended on Sept. 30 — a sign that recent marketing efforts to compete with other tropical destinations are working.
“The economy has changed,” said Palm Beach County Mayor Priscilla Taylor, who chairs the county’s Tourist Development Council. “It is turning around. I just think people are looking at us as a destination.”
An extremely cold winter in the northern part of the country drove a surge in local hotel stays early this budget year and helped boost bed tax collections. Summertime sporting events and marketing to attract Florida residents kept hotels full during the warmer months.

Note too the Roger Dean Stadium was used during the summer by groups other than major league baseball teams.

Excerpts from the Lake Worth Herald (October 9, 2014) titled, "Who's the Leader of This Parade":

Excerpts from the Lake Worth Herald (October 9, 2014) titled, "Who's the Leader of This Parade":

     "City Staff has held at least four meetings to discuss the Greenway/Roadway projects in the south end of town. The meetings were posted and advertised and attended by about thirty people each time.
     When it comes on the agenda to amend the interlocal agreement with the county, it is suddenly a problem for the residents. Residents who admittedly did not attend the meetings.
     Now they want all the say in what happens with the projects.
     This has happened before in Lake Worth and the players are the same ones who jump in front of any progress in the city. This group is comprised of former commissioners who had a hand in the disaster at the beach and one is a seated commissioner who is either leading the ring or is being led by the ring."

[Later...]

     "It is time the commission majority recognize the antagonists and ignore their late delay tactics so this city can move forward."

To read the entire editorial and more news in Lake Worth visit LWHerald.com. And don't miss the clever musings of Pelican Pete on the first page below the fold!

Why 12-Foot Traffic Lanes Are Disastrous for Safety and Must Be Replaced Now | via CityLab

Walkable West Palm Beach gives support to the idea of 10 foot wide traffic lanes, instead of the DOT standard of 12 foot lanes, through urban areas. This issue was raised Tuesday night at the Commission meeting (10/7/14) regarding the work on 7th Avenue South. The plan currently calls for 2, two-way, twelve foot wide lanes, bike lanes on both sides and a sidewalk on the north side of the street. The city will hold a neighborhood meeting to discuss design options available at this point in time. Click title for link.

Jeff Speck, former guest on High Noon in Lake Worth, is the planner making the case for the narrower lanes. His presentation before the West Palm Beach City Commission earlier this year is captured on this YouTube video.

Eyes on the viral moment: Rick Scott, Charlie Crist set for...

Interesting historical analysis of the players in the upcoming debates in the Governor's race by George Bennet. The first of them is today at 11 a.m. Click title for link.

Don’t be fooled by Gov. Rick Scott’s awkwardness or Democratic challenger Charlie Crist’s “happy warrior” persona.
Scott and Crist, who face off for the first of three gubernatorial debates Friday, have both shown steely message discipline and an appetite for attack in debates.
Scott and former Republican Gov. Crist will meet at 11 a.m. Friday to tape a debate that will air at 7 Friday night on Spanish-language Telemundo. The rivals meet again Wednesday at Broward College for a debate sponsored by the Florida Press Association and Leadership Florida. And they’ll meet for a final time on Oct. 21 in Jacksonville for a CNN debate.

Land savvy billionaire still buying in West Palm Beach

Jeff Greene is assembling more property in West Palm Beach. Tall buildings, tall buildings! Click title for link.

Billionaire Palm Beacher Jeff Greene bought more property in downtown West Palm Beach this week, adding to his already substantial cache along North Flagler Drive.
The $1.5 million purchase, which closed Wednesday, was for a 1.5-acre piece of vacant land at 2023 N. Flagler Drive.
The land is being considered for a zoning change that will allow for buildings up to 15 stories tall to be constructed. Currently, the height restriction is four stories. CapasGroup Realty Advisors and Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the sale, WCI Communities.

U.S. Sugar and Hendry County seek to turn sleepy airport into cargo hub to rival MIA - Broward Bulldog

Didn't see this coming, but it coincides with other plans that are springing up along the interior of the Florida peninsula. Click title for link.

At the heart of a controversial plan for a huge new development near the northwest edge of the Everglades – dubbed “Big Sugar City” by environmentalists – is a crucial, but less noticed proposal for a $400 million makeover of a flyspeck of an airport in rural Hendry County.
The goal is to transform sleepy Airglades Airport, where skydiving is the reigning business, into an international hub for perishable cargo to rival Miami International Airport about 80 miles to the southeast. If it doesn’t happen, Big Sugar City, also known as Sugar Hill, may not become a reality either.
Airglades International LLC (AIA), the private outfit selected by Hendry County to develop the airport, has a straightforward business plan: add a new 10,000 or 12,000-foot runway, build a one-stop air cargo complex and siphon off MIA’s multi-billion dollar perishable cargo business – everything from fresh food and flowers to drugs and medical shipments.
Last year, MIA accounted for 72 percent of all U.S. perishable imports.

Dalai Lama

"I consider myself to be just one among 7 billion human beings. If I were to think of myself as different from others, or as something special, it would create a barrier between us. What makes us the same is that we all want to lead happy lives and gather friends around us. And friendship is based on trust, honesty and openness."

Two sharks close beach in Lake Worth - WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Top Stories

Ruh oh! This happened late yesterday as the beach was closing. Click title for link.

Flip-flop season is nearly over...

3:18 PM Reminder to use Royal Palm Way and South County Road when traveling to and from Palm Beach

As the winter season approaches, Town roads are experiencing higher levels of traffic. The Town reminds all drivers traveling to and from the Island using the Royal Park (Middle) Bridge that preference will be given to east/west traffic on Royal Palm Way. Drivers are strongly encouraged to use South County Road instead of Cocoanut Row or Hibiscus Avenue.

Our municipal neighbor to the north is winning awards for promotion...

Three in running for annual tourism award

Click title for link to the Palm Beach Post article announcing the award program. The Providencia is the ship that wrecked off our coast in 1878 with a load of coconuts. Those coconuts were later planted and people actively promoted that fact, thus later becoming Palm Beach County.

Three local organizations are competing for Palm Beach County’s top tourism prize, and the public will decide which one ultimately receives the coveted award.
The Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, The Honda Classic, and the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium are all in the running for the county’s annual Providencia Award. The prize is awarded each year by Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism marketing arm, to an individual or entity that has made a contribution to the county as a desirable tourist destination.
The public can vote for the winner from now until Oct. 26.
Discover The Palm Beaches began accepting nominations for the 2014 Providencia Award last month. Each nomination was reviewed by a panel of local tourism leaders, who ultimately narrowed the list to three finalists.

Expected flooding didn't happen with King tides...

Click title for link to a Sun-Sentinel article about how abnormally high tides in October turned out to be less than expected this year. Such tides are expected to become more frequent with sea level rise. Infrastructure is now in place to address the issue, for now. From the article:

Coastal areas that are frequently swamped during seasonal high tides braced for the worst Wednesday.
But most low-lying trouble spots either were dry or had only minor flooding. The reason: The pumps and special valves to stem the flooding did their job, and the tides weren't as high as initially predicted, officials said.
The worst flooding appeared to be at the Delray Beach Marina Historic District, where a few inches of sea water accumulated on Marine Way — without the help of any rain.
"There were fish swimming in the street," said John Morgan, the city's sustainability officer. He said the city plans to install flex valves on drain pipes to prevent flooding in the future.
The full moon, seasonal high tides and rising sea levels all conspire to pull ocean water onto dry land.

Our absent-minded Commissioner's appointment bobble

On Monday, October 6, the other blogger  posted a true work of revisionism titled, "Political Board Appointments-Lake Worth". First off, you can gauge much about her state of mind by the number of anonymous comments she posts. The more unsettled she is, the more anonymous comments she creates. Could it be a form of self-therapy or hypnosis? As of yesterday on this topic alone she is up to 24 anonymous comments and she answers herself 3 times. Truly amazing.

But I digress. The topic of Anderson's post was what used to be John Rinaldi's chairman's seat at the Planning & Zoning board taken from him by Commissioner McVoy. It is rare for this to occur especially if someone expresses a desire to continue serving and submits an application to do so in time for the appointment. All of which were the case here. I am not aware of all of the dynamics between the Commissioner and Mr. Rinaldi, but he really did a disservice to the community in not appointing him.

The facts of the matter are indisputable:

- Fact: McVoy represents District 2
- Fact: McVoy had ONE, and only ONE appointment to make for the P&Z
- Fact: McVoy was aware of Mr. Rinaldi's interest in continuing as Chair of the P&Z
- Fact: McVoy and/or his supporter(s) approached Elise LaTorre and encouraged her to apply to the P&Z
- Fact: McVoy then had TWO applicants for ONE AND ONLY ONE seat on the P&Z board
- Fact: McVoy chose to eliminate Mr. Rinaldi's position on the board when he chose LaTorre

On September 29, two days before the last P&Z meeting (10/1) the new members were listed on the city website. Elise LaTorre was listed as a member and John Rinaldi was not.

I believe, and many others also believe, that Commissioner McVoy didn't plan on the outrage that followed. He mistakenly calculated that his political move would go mostly unnoticed outside the walls of city hall. To make matters even worse for McVoy his ally and blogger friend is attempting to shift the blame from McVoy, going so far as to claim Mr. Rinaldi, Ms. LaTorre and others unnamed on the City Commission have conspired, in a some odd manner, to undermine Commissioner McVoy. Ergo why the other blogger is the undisputed Queen of Revisionism.

And, in all of this, it is going unnoticed that there is a vacancy on the Historic Resource Preservation Board for an at-large position - a position that Ms. LaTorre could apply for and be appointed to as well. Doing that would have preserved Mr. Rinaldi's position on P&Z.

What follows here are three snipped images from the other blogger's blog. The first is of a comment by its operator and the other two are from John Rinaldi commenting on the blogger's assertions. I would encourage you to re-read the facts of the matter above once again and then read from the three images below.

Discussion of 7th Avenue South Improvements from last night's meeting (10/7/14)

What was actually on the consent agenda as an accounting matter, (i.e. truing budget amounts with bid amounts etc.) led to a discussion of the extent of improvements along 7th Avenue South. This brought out residents in the area, and some familiar faces from outside the area, to the podium to raise questions about the need for two lanes versus one and more opportunities for trees. The item was eventually tabled for Commission action until after more information can be gathered and a meeting can be held with residents in the area. The safety of 6th Avenue South for pedestrians was central to the discussion. There are other projects in the area that are converting rights-of-way that have been unimproved into greenways. You will not want to miss the speakers at the 21:55  and 24:00 marks.

The second video below consists of the Commission's reaction to public comments, further discussion of the process and traffic conditions in the area.

Asking for a meeting of the Palm Beach County Canvassing board (10/7/14)

The main points are read by the City Attorney around the 2:15 mark. Commissioner McVoy tries applying his brand of logic to the situation at 14:30.

Discussion of Settlement Agreement with Street Outdoor, LLC from last night's Commission meeting (10/7/14)

Continuation of item related to appointment of an elected official (10/7/14)...

A member of the Commission is needed on the evaluation committee for the Beach Complex Invitation to Negotiate. Last night, the Commission took up the matter again and it nearly ended the same way as it did last time.

Public Hearings from last night's Commission meeting (10/7/14)

The second reading of the ordinance which adjusts the candidate qualifying period is the second item discussed. It moves the period from 30 days before the election to 90 days before the election.

Public Comment on Non-Agendaed Items - 10/7/14

Some sort of follow-up regarding infrastructure repairs, after the bond ballot issue outcome, is discussed towards the end of this video.

Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Association Cleanup

Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Association of Lake Worth cleanup will be Saturday October 18th from 8 -11, meet up at 408 South E. Street. 
Cleanup focusing on Lake Ave to 4th Ave S. South E and South F. Streets. 
Please pass this on to all who need volunteer hours.

Commissioner Liaison Reports and Comments from last night's (10/7/14) meeting

From the beginning of last night's City Commission meeting (10/7/14)

Mayor Triolo was not in attendance due to a business engagement. Vice Mayor Maxwell conducted the meeting.

From a few Commission meetings ago...

From across the border...

The former International House of Pancakes is now demolished. This is just on the other side of the C-51 canal. There are big plans for this area that call for a more accessible and enjoyable waterfront. I think the demolition now was really to get rid of an attractive nuisance.

This is how the city of West Palm Beach is announcing the event on their website.

Some signs of progress west of I-95

These were taken yesterday.

Boynton could be first city to sign agreement with All Aboard...

A similar agreement should be coming across our City Commission dais shortly. Boynton Beach claims that it will add an additional $5,000 per year in maintenance to abide by the agreement. The item is on their consent agenda. Click title for link.

Boynton Beach could become the first local government in Palm Beach County to approve a contentious railroad crossing agreement with All Aboard Florida that details who is responsible for paying for safety upgrades and future maintenance requirements at intersections where the roadway crosses the train tracks.
City Commissioners are expected to vote on the two-page agreement at a meeting today. The item appears on the board’s consent agenda, where it is bunched with other items that can be approved together without discussion.
Local governments from Palm Beach County to the Treasure Coast have balked at the crossing agreements, questioning the potential costs and lawfulness of the contracts.

Two years late on mortgage? No problem with new program | Real Time

This might help some people in Lake Worth as they clear up the foreclosure process on their property. Some of these long-term foreclosures can turn into what are called "zombie homes." People who own the property walk away and the bank chooses not to complete the foreclosure process. The property reverts back to the former owner, who may or may not know they still own the property. Click title for link.

A letter to lenders sent Wednesday says they must reevaluate any borrower who was previously turned down for a modification because of 720-day cap.
The streamlined modification plan was developed because of consistent complaints from borrowers that banks repeatedly lose loan modification paperwork in a bureaucratic process that can take years to complete.
Although no paperwork is required to get the streamlined modification, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will try to screen out people who can still afford their mortgage but stop paying so they can qualify. According to a press release, the two mortgage backers have “proprietary screening measures,” which could include checking whether other bills are being paid on time or credit changes.

Big news about the Herbert Hoover Dike...

I came across a must read article in News-Press.com. Living in Florida we are warned daily of environmental threats to our way of life. These include effects from climate change, rising sea levels, saltwater infiltration of our drinking water wells, diminishing natural habitat, over-development and on and on it goes. We hear this regularly from experts at the Sierra Club, the 1000 Friends of Florida, the South Florida Wildlands Assoc., and thousands of others warning of dire consequences if we don't ACT NOW on one particular matter or another. And for the most part they are right. But they tend to overlook a developing hazard.

In the following excerpts from the article, you'll read some truly disturbing news about the Herbert Hoover Dike. That dike is what keeps Lake Okeechobee contained. Hopefully this news will cut through the din of environmentalist gloom and doom and focus on the immediate threat to our way of life in South Florida. According to The Army Corps of Engineers, Lloyd's of London, the South Florida Water Management District, Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center, and many others the most immediate threat is the collapse of the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Two excerpts from the article by Chad Gillis:

Thousands dead. Billions of dollars in damages. Years of rebuilding. Irreversible damages to the Everglades and drinking water aquifers.
It may sound like a trailer for a sci-fi movie, but those phrases were taken from state and federal agency reports, university findings and insurance risk assessments to describe the Herbert Hoover Dike, a 143-mile earthen dam that's been eroding for the last half century.

[And later in the article]

The report [from Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center] goes on to say that making the dike truly safe would likely cost more than the Army Corps of Engineers entire budget for projects across the nation, which was $4.7 billion in 2013. Billions of dollars in Everglades restoration could be lost in one event, which could also damage drinking water aquifers and cause irreversible harm to Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
It's not just engineers and nearby residents who are concerned. Lloyd's of London issued a firm warning to companies that insure homes and property in South Florida.
"The dike was built from uncompacted earth, made up of naturally porous materials such as peat, gravel, sand and shell and is therefore prone to leaks," Lloyd's forecasters wrote. "Since the construction of the dike, the land outside of the dike has been eroding, particularly on the south side of the lake."
Willadson said the threats are real, and that the Corps works with other federal agencies to plan for worst-cast scenarios — which would likely be a major hurricane hitting Okeechobee.
"I know there's higher level of coordination, because we do have issues with regards to a breach," he said. "Damages would be rather significant."

See which four roads Lake Worth has found the money to pave

Click title for link to an article by Chris Persaud regarding items on tonight's City Commission agenda. We might be saying good-bye to another lawsuit! Here is what the headline refers to:

Three of the roads are in southwest Lake Worth, where some streets never have been paved.
Even though a $63.5 million road-fixing bond issue was narrowly defeated Aug. 26, the city still has grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to do some repair work. That money sat unspent for years, City Manager Mike Bornstein has said.
Tenth Avenue South would get a paved road for the first time between A and E streets. Up till now, it’s been a dirt road. Roadwork would finish by the end of March.
Ninth Avenue South would go from dirt road to greenway: a walking path with plants and grass between B and F streets. Roadwork would finish by the end of April.
Seventh Avenue South would get repaved between A and F streets. The commission hasn’t yet said when roadwork would finish.
Fifth Avenue North would get turned into a greenway between A and C streets. Roadwork would finish by the end of June.

The Villages at Lake Worth - Model Open by November!

The leasing office is now open in the commercial facility (office/warehouse) on the north side of 2nd Avenue North. Here is a view from that property's western driveway.

This is their flier they are giving prospective renters. We saw a few leave with the information while we were there.

Here are the floor plans with the associated rents written in pencil.

Palm Beach County and Partners Hosting LagoonFest November 1

For immediate release: October 6, 2014
Contact: Jacey Biery (561) 233-2461, jbiery@pbcgov.org

Palm Beach County and its partners in the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative invite the public to discover a local treasure – Lake Worth Lagoon – at LagoonFest. This inaugural celebration will take place on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. next to the West Palm Beach GreenMarket on South Flagler Drive along the downtown waterfront.

The free, family-friendly festival will showcase the many “faces” of the lagoon, raising awareness of its environmental, recreational and economic value. Visitors of all ages can uncover the lagoon’s connection to their lives through hands-on exhibits, wildlife viewing, children’s activities, water sports and more. Planned highlights of the event include a mock manatee rescue, a presentation by Busch Wildlife Sanctuary featuring wildlife native to the lagoon, and naturalist-led eco-tours by water taxi and kayaks. The reggae band Future Prezidents will perform.

Approximately 20 miles long and a half-mile wide, Lake Worth Lagoon is the county’s largest estuary and is home to a variety of life, including fish, birds, manatees and sea turtles.

For more information about LagoonFest, please visit www.LWLI.org/LagoonFest or contact the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) at 561-233-2400. For more information about the lagoon and the initiative, visit www.LWLI.org.

LagoonFest is a collaboration among Palm Beach County, the South Florida Water Management District and other Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative partners in conjunction with the city of West Palm Beach and the West Palm Beach GreenMarket. Sponsors include Florida Power & Light Company, Southern Waste Systems, Florida Inland Navigation District, Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, Inc., Port of Palm Beach, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Coastal Angler Magazine, Visit Palm Beach, and Captain Joe’s Water Taxi.

Yours truly's ears are burning...

This is the source meaning of that phrase:

Ears are burning, one's - one is being talked about. A tingling or burning sensation in the ears supposedly means that a person is being discussed by others. The origin of this belief goes back to Roman times when augurs (see Under the auspices of) paid particular attention to such signs. Pliny wrote: 'It is acknowledged that the absent feel a presentiment of remarks about themselves by the ringing of their ears' (Naturalis Historia, AD 77). The ancient belief that the left signifies evil and the right good applies here also. Both Plautus and Pliny held that if a person's right ear burns then he is being praised, but a burning left ear indicates that he is the subject of evil intent. English literature, from Chaucer to Dickens, abounds with references to burning ears.
According to ancient belief, other unexpected bodily twitches and sensations also warn of events to come, among them the eye and the thumb. A flickering right eye, for instance, indicates that a friend will visit or that something longed for will soon be seen, and a pricking in one's left thumb warns of an evil event.

There is a thread on Robert Waples' own Facebook page of which others have made me aware. You see, Mr. Waples has chosen to block me on Facebook, so I can see nothing he posts and can see nothing on his page. There has been no direct communication from Mr. Waples about any actions which are being attributed to me that are contributing to his angst. Likewise, there has been no communication between his stablemates Mrs. McGiveron or Ms. Anderson. Apparently, such grievance stems from this post from September 18th on this blog.

Instead of contacting me with correct information, if indeed any information I posted was incorrect, Mr. Waples has chosen to hide behind a cyberwall and make accusations about my behavior about which I cannot reply to since I am unable to see them. Others have sent incremental versions of what is being said and it boils down to the nonsensical. Which is the likely reason that the accuser does not want to face the accused.

It also gives an opportunity, apparently, for Mrs. McGiveron to voice her sentiments about my right to freedom of speech and general disgust about how the city is being run. Here is a sample:

So, how can the accused change behavior if he knows not that of which he is accused? And, to be clear, any of my writings and postings here are from a private citizen, are independently my own and not representative of any other group or affiliation.

I suggest that should anyone have a problem in which I may have a part in solving that problem, it is best to contact me directly and not talk about it incessantly out of sight of the implicated.

Coming to the Lake Worth Public Library 10/16!

Acts 25:16 NIV

"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges."

Compass: This coming Saturday 10/11

Rev. Lee M. Sapp

"Your willingness to forgive should not be dependent on the other person feeling sorry."

Deerfield Beach Mayor Engaged in "Ethical Misconduct," OIG Report Says

Chaz Stevens' work calls out Deerfield Beach Mayor Jean Robb in a Broward County Office of Inspector General Report. Click title for link.

Today is the last day to register to VOTE in the November 4 General Election CLICK HERE to register, it's quick and easy!

WPB Commissioner Shanon Materio in the Post editorial page tomorrow as Commentary on AAF

Click title for link. Here are some snippets:

Perhaps it is from my perspective as a member of the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Council (MPO) that makes it difficult for me to understand the recent debate among some of the cities in Palm Beach County whether to support the All Aboard Florida passenger rail project.
The comments seem to surround answering the general question of determining the direct benefit to a particular city. That in fact is what we do on the MPO. We decide how to spend tens of millions of public tax dollars for transportation projects that will not only help a particular local government but will enhance the overall transportation grid within Palm Beach County as a whole.
Most projects don’t directly help my city of West Palm Beach. However, everyone on the MPO realizes that better roads, better mass transit, better turning lanes and beautified roadways, no matter in what city they are located, work to make all of Palm Beach County and our collective quality of life better for everyone.

[Later...]

On the MPO, we measure the public dollar cost against the overall public benefit. If the public benefit to Palm Beach County is greater than the cost, we all support the project no matter if one city might benefit more than another. In this case, the benefits of intercity passenger rail and the future infrastructure it will bring, allowing more commuter rail service on the FEC throughout Palm Beach County, far outweigh the cost to the public.

Redux item on the next City Commission agenda...

Next Tuesday, October 7, there is a very interesting item concerning the Casino and Pool complex. You'll find it on page 26 here of the city's agenda.

I wasn't able to attend the last commission meeting but did hear that Commissioner McVoy is interested in being selected for the city commission "evaluation" position. So much so that he made a motion to do so that failed for lack of a second. The whole thing was then rescheduled to be discussed at the next meeting.

Apparently, the other Commissioners are well aware of his role in guiding the current "business plan" for the beach operations and wisely do not consider it a good idea to have one of the people to blame in charge of the fix. Another example of his bumbling would be Commissioner McVoy's bungling of the Planning & Zoning board appointments. So let's just say he should do the smart thing and withdraw from consideration. Realistically, if any commissioner can't manage something as mundane as a city board appointment he shouldn't be the city's liaison on any matter. And you can extend that question to whether or not he really should be a Commissioner much longer.

On October 2nd a reader of my blog who watched the meeting live wrote me and was very concerned. In the comments about the post John Rinaldi further clarified what happened and how he lost his chairmanship of the P&Z board.

This incident leaves me scratching my head about the overall appointment process for board members and if there might not be a better way.

Anyhow, back to the commission liaison and the Casino/Pool complex, this is a positive step forward for the Casino and the Municipal Pool. Past commissions dropped the ball and now our present commission is looking into some steps to make the pool a viable economic entity, instead of being a drag on the city's finances.

Don't forget, one of McVoy's suggestions for the Casino complex was windmills on the beach.

Lest we forget...

From the creative mind of Tom McGow. Notice another blogger acknowledge that is was a "Very unfortunate comment." She now insists that it is misunderstood and taken out of context. Such are things in the Land of Revisionism.

A way to get past the Lake Worth spillway?

Planning work is well underway for this watercraft access project through the C-51 canal. That is the canal that runs along the Lake Worth northern border it shares with West Palm Beach. Spillway Park might be the location of the required boat lift. Click title for link. From the article:

A way for tens of thousands of boaters to get past the spillway of the C-51 Canal, along the West Palm Beach-Lake Worth line, soon could be closer to reality.
For the past year, cities have been studying the idea of a lift over the spillway that would let boaters move from inland freshwater lakes and canals into the Lake Worth Lagoon and on to the Atlantic. Access would be limited to small boats, with low profiles, because of low clearances at bridges and utility lines that run over canals.
The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council began a formal study about six weeks ago, using $30,000 from the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
[Later...]
West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio, who represents the south end of West Palm Beach and owns a business in Lake Worth, estimates as many as 65,000 people with boats are “upstream” of the spillway, and their only option now is to load their crafts onto a trailer.
“Can you imagine going up and getting access to the Intracoastal Waterway through the chain of lakes?” Lake Clarke Shores Vice Mayor Robert Shalhoub said.

First responders to speak against All Aboard Florida at Jupiter event

Click title for link. It seems that the not-in-my-back-yard mentality still is holding firm from the northern part of of Palm Beach County through the Treasure Coast. It's a little unusual for first responders to be part of this sort of presentation. From the article:

Tequesta Mayor Abby Brennan has said she is concerned about emergency vehicles being delayed by the increase of 32 trains per day on the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. All Aboard Florida is expected to begin service between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2016, with an Orlando leg opening in 2017.
“Because of the way we are surrounded by water, one train can block all three of our crossings,” Brennan said earlier this year. “Our assisted living facilities are all on the east side and we are worried that with all these extra trains ambulances may get stuck waiting.”
All Aboard Florida trains will be shorter than the typical freight train and are expected to pass through crossings in less than one minute. [Emphasis added]
Still, the Town of Jupiter Island  also fears that emergency vehicles will be impeded by the added trains.

Lake Worth building destroyed after catching fire

We saw the smoke from this yesterday. Will try to get pictures of the remains today. Sounds suspicious. Click title for link.